You Must Love Me
by CSIGSRFan
Summary: Post Goodbye and Good Luck. What does Sara do when she can stand the solitude any longer? GSR. Read and Review. WIP
1. Chapter 1

Title: You Must Love Me

Spoilers: Goodbye and Good luck

Pairing: Grissom/Sara

Genre: Angst

Rating: M

Disclaimer: I don't own CSI. You know the drill.

Possible use of the song "You Must Love Me" from the movie Evita. I haven't decided yet. I refuse to call the dog Hank. I just can't do it. It's Bruno. Get over it.

Chapter: 1/?

Days, weeks, months had passed since Sara Sidle left the Las Vegas Crime Lab, since she left Las Vegas, since she left behind the man, and subsequently the dog, she loved. She was a different woman than she had been. She had made some form of amends with her mother which lifted some burden from her shoulders.

With her brunette hair pulled up into a ponytail, she sat on her hotel room bed wearing blue pajama bottoms and a black camisole. She padded barefoot around the room after brushing her teeth. She sat cross-legged on the bed after turning off the television, not really in the mood to watch the news. Her cell phone sat on the nightstand as she slowly turned her attention to it.

She picked it up and turned it on. Forty-seven voicemails. There was one a day since she had left, but the stopped after a month or so. She couldn't blame for giving up on contacting her. After all, this was the first time she had turned it on. With the usual melodic tone, she turned her phone back off. She grabbed the hotel phone and dialed the phone number to Grissom's townhouse. She knew he wouldn't be there. She knew it would be safe to call. The message spoke volumes in her ear, "You've reached the Grissom household. I'm out of the house right now, and Bruno can't answer the phone…you need thumbs for that. Leave a message after the beep, and Sara…I love you."

As the machine beeped, Sara hung up the phone. She wasn't expecting him to mention her. She wasn't expecting him to still love her. Twirling her engagement ring around her finger, she contemplated calling yet again. She grabbed the phone, and, this time, dialed his cell phone. A gruff, manly voice on the other end spoke. It was easy to hear that he was tired. She knew that tone. She knew he was doing paperwork. He cleared his throat, "Grissom."

He hadn't looked at the caller ID. Maybe he should have. Then he would have spit coffee across the desk when he heard the angelic voice on the other line that he had been missing for so long, "I still love you, too. I...I heard the message machine. I called the townhouse first. Bruno didn't answer." She gave a half-smile, hoping to brighten the conversation somewhat.

He smiled slightly, "I haven't gotten the chance to train him for that yet. I…why are you calling? I never expected to hear from you after all those voicemails I left. You never called back, and I gave up. I thought you didn't love me anymore."

She let out a breath that she hadn't realized she had been holding, "I could never stop loving you. I just didn't have my cell phone on. I never turned it on. I was scared of so much, and I didn't want to be contacted. I wasn't ready. I'm so sorry, but I never could stop loving you. I guess I never really proved that to you."

She hung her head and he seemed to sense that, "Sara Ann Sidle…pick your head up. I love you, and I always have. You mean so much to me. You called, and that means so much. I love you, Butterfly."

Unable to control it, she broke down in tears. It had been so long since she heard his voice calling her Butterfly. She missed it. She missed him. She missed his love. He heard her crying and he swallowed heavily, "Honey…please tell me where you are."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2/?

Grissom nearly ran from his office. Sara had given him the hotel name and address, and they talked for a few more minutes before hanging up. He headed to Catherine's office, "I need you to take over Graveyard Shift for a while."

She raised an eyebrow, "For what and for how long?"

"I need to go be there for Sara. She called me, and she needs me. Just keep Ecklie off my ass. I call you when I know something."

He left her office wordlessly and jogged to his Denali. Heading to the townhouse, he went inside. Bruno greeted him and he knelt down, ruffling the dog's fur, "Want to visit Mommy?" He chuckled as the dog barked loudly, almost dancing in his spot.

Grissom headed to the bedroom, packing a suitcase. He made a suitcase full of things for Bruno and some of the things Sara had left behind. Slipping on Bruno's leash, he locked up the house and headed to the airport.

The flight seemed to take forever, but they soon arrived at the San Francisco airport. Grissom grabbed his bags and headed with Bruno to the rental car. He didn't call Sara. She didn't expect him until tomorrow, and he wanted to keep it that way. He didn't want her to try and perfect herself; he wanted the broken down Sara that he could protect and take care of.

Heading into the hotel, Bruno stayed at Grissom's side. He swallowed heavily as he nervously knocked at the hotel room door. Sara jumped off the bed, unsure of who was at the door. She slowly walked to the door and looked in the peephole. Her heart tightened as she opened the door, "Gil…"

Bruno sprinted into the room and jumped on the bed, curling into a ball. Grissom slowly stepped into the room, closing the door behind himself. He locked the door and turned to Sara, "Butterfly…I've missed you so very much."

She tilted her head slightly, her brown eyes sparkling at him, "I thought you said you were coming tomorrow."

He nodded a bit and brought a hand up slowly, caressing her cheek gently. Her eyes closed as he spoke, "I know, but I couldn't wait. I just couldn't. I love you Sara…and it was too hard to stay away any longer."

She gave him a soft smile, "I love you too, and I'm glad you're here. I missed you so badly, and I should have called sooner, I just had so much to deal with."

Turning off the lights, he picked her up into his arms and laid her on the bed, "Talk to me about it." Stripping to his boxers, he climbed into bed beside her. She snuggled into his arms, relaxing instantly at his touch. He kissed the top of her head, smelling the sweet scent of her hair and shampoo, "Mmm…that Sidle-scent. I've missed that."

Bruno curled up against her back and she smiled. His arms tightened around her, "Tell me about everything that's happened since you left."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3/?

The only light on in the hotel room was the small lamp over the nightstand. The television was off, curtains drawn, door locked and everything seemingly in its place. Bruno was curled up on the foot of the bed, watching Grissom and Sara as they talked. Sara was sitting up straight, her legs crossed beneath her. Grissom watched her movements as though he was memorizing her, and he was. If he lost her again, he wanted to remember every aspect of her, every last minute detail that he ever took for granted.

Sara's brunette hair was up in a ponytail. It was longer than Grissom remembered, and he took note of all the things that had changed over the few months. The wrinkles in her forehead that had begun to develop in Las Vegas were now gone. The stress that caused the wrinkles was now gone, making her younger yet again. She still used the same shampoo; he recognized the scent. She was a bit heavier, he noted, but that meant she had been eating well. He was afraid she wouldn't be sleeping or eating without him around. He was always there to make sure she was taking care of herself, and he was relieved to be able to see that she did it for herself even without him there.

There was a hint of a…something peeking out on her right shoulder-blade beneath the black camisole. Slowly, he brought up a hand to move away the material. It was a butterfly with their names written in the dotted flight pattern. She had gotten a tattoo of him…of them. He leaned forward and gently kissed the spot. Smiling, she turned her head to look at him, "You found the tattoo, I see. I do hope you like it."

He smiled as he sat up, "I love it, Sara. It's perfect…" He kissed the spot again, "…just like you are."

Settling back into the pillows, Sara looked up to Gil with sparkling bright eyes, "I missed you, and I'm so glad you found me."

He gently brushed the loose hair from her face, "I would have searched for you sooner, but I know you needed time to yourself. Some part of me knew that you'd be back, or you'd contact me in some way. I love you Sara and I've never stopped." He leaned down and kissed her forehead, "Even when we were apart, I loved you. Bruno missed you too. He lay on your side of the bed each night. I think it was so we could both sleep a little better."

Nuzzling more against him, she looked into his eyes with a warm smile, "I'm so glad to hear you still love me. It was the one thing I feared the most that you-"

She was silenced as he pressed his lips firmly to hers. The kiss continued for a few moments and he slowly broke it, caressing her cheek, "Sara, I could never stop loving you…ever." He didn't give her a chance to respond as he kissed her again.

Bruno watched the two as Grissom slowly began to pin Sara to the bed. With a quiet laugh from Sara, she wrapped her arms around Grissom's neck, and the dog jumped off bed. He knew what was going to happen between his people, and he wasn't in the mood to be there when the bed moved. He curled up on the small couch in the corner of the room.

Grissom leaned over Sara, and kissed her sweetly, "I've…missed…you…" He kissed her between each word.

She smiled against his lips, unable but to laugh softly, "I've missed you too."

Relaxing against the pillows, she looked up at him. Both of their eyes said the same thing to each other. They missed each other. They loved each other. They wanted – no, they needed – each other. It was never more evident at that moment.

Bruno barked at the two when he was hit with a barrage of flying clothes. Sara laughed softly, looking towards the dog who barked again before snuggling back down. Grissom placed a finger beneath her chin, capturing her attention yet again. His eyes remained on hers as he kissed her gently but passionately. They soon lost themselves in each other, melting in the touches that they had craved for too long.

A/N: R + R everyone!


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4/?

For the first time in the past few months, Sara slept peacefully in the hotel room bed. She was wrapped up in the arms of her lover; their bodies so far entwined it was hard to see where one began and the other ended. Grissom held her close as he slept, thankful to have her warm body back up against his own. Bruno had curled up on the end of the bed once the two had fallen asleep. He missed seeing his people like this, and, for once, didn't mind being kicked off the bed so they could be closer. Well, that's what they called it anyway. Either way, he always got his spot at the end of the bed.

Grissom woke first, stretching slightly against Sara. He softly kissed the back of her neck, twirling his fingers through her hair. Carefully, he eased himself from the bed without waking her. He took a quick shower and pulled on his boxers before ordering them room service, making sure everything was vegetarian for them both. He answered the door at the first knock, setting the food on the desktop.

Bruno stretched and jumped off the bed, and Grissom gave him the small order of food he had gotten for him. He ate happily in the corner of the room as Grissom walked over to the bed. He gently rocked her shoulder, "Sara, dear…come on and get up." She didn't stir. Smiling to himself, he kissed her gently and slowly deepened the kiss as he felt her body stretch and wake.

Breaking the kiss a few minutes later, she smiled, "Morning. I missed having you wake me up like this."

He chuckled, grabbing the tray from the desk. Setting it on the bed, he crawled in beside her, and she snuggled on his lap as they ate. He rubbed her back as he gently kissed her temple, "What are the plans for today, sweetheart?"

She shrugged, resting her head onto his shoulder, "Whatever we want to do. I'm sure we can find something. Well, I do have a doctor's appointment this afternoon, but you're welcome to come along if you're not going to be bored or anything. How long are you going to be here for?"

"I'm here for as long as you want me here. I'm willing to do whatever you want, Sara. Whenever you want me to go, I'll go. If you decide to come back to Vegas, I'll be the first person to help you back and get you home." He chuckled lightly, "And yes, I'll go to your doctor appointment with you. We can keep each other company in the waiting room. What's the appointment for, anyway?"

Smiling softly at his words, she pecked his lips, "We'll see how things go, and we can decide then." She swallowed, "It's just a, erm, regular checkup."

Nodding, he didn't think anything of her pause. He was too caught up in actually having her in his arms again to notice something so very subtle and minute in her tone. He pressed a soft kiss to her neck as both of them returned to eating. It was a comfortable silence. That was the good thing about the two of them. They weren't worried about awkward silences or trying to make conversation when there was no subject worthy of their interest. They were perfectly happy with relaxing together in the silence, listening to the sound of the other's breathing.

It was a few minutes later that Sara moved the tray from the bed, setting it on the floor. She curled up beside Grissom, smiling warmly as she drew invisible patterns on his chest. His arms wrapped tightly around her waist, moving her closer to him. She rested her head on his shoulder and he gently played with her hair, pressing a kiss to her forehead, "Honey?"

She didn't pick up her head, "What is it, baby?" She brought her eyes up to his, wondering if everything was alright. She didn't want to lose him, and she was ready to go back to Vegas after they both spent some time together in California. They needed the time away, together, from the bright lights of the Las Vegas Strip, and she was glad that he was here. He helped confirm the fact that she needed to go back to Vegas, go back to him, and go back to Bruno. She was finally ready for the return.

He looked at her, "Are…are you going to come back with me…like, go back to Vegas? I've missed you too much, and I respect your decision either way. I just…I just want you back."

She cut off his talking with a warm smile and a gentle kiss, "When you decide to go back, I'll be with you, but I do think we should spend a few days out here together. It'll give us some time away from everything. But to answer your question, yes, I will be going back with you and Bruno."

Grinning, he let out a thankful sigh and pressed his lips to hers, "It'll be good to have you back in the townhouse. The bed has been cold without you, and I've missed waking up to see your beautiful face every morning. I haven't slept as well as I did last night since you left. I think it's because my body's been accustomed to having you wrapped up in my arms, and Bruno never let me hold him like that."

Laughing, she poked him, "Torturing the dog while I was gone, weren't you?" She squealed as he returned the poke, starting to tickle her. Playfully fighting against him, she laughed, "Okay, okay, you win!"

He grinned and pecked her lips, "Yes, I am that good." He smiled and leaned against the pillows as she curled up next to his side. Playing with her hair, they both sighed contently.

Bruno jumped onto the bed, lying on Gil's other side. His nose was a centimeter away from Sara's nose as she engaged in a staring contest with him. Gil chuckled lightly as the two people, yes he concerned Bruno a person – he was pretty close to being human minus the fur and four paws, around him stared at each other without movement. Sara jumped back as Bruno barked, claiming his victory.

Grissom smiled at the two, "Alright, children, enough. I think we need to get ready to go out for today." Bruno jumped off the bed, holding his leash in his teeth, "Yes boy, as soon as Mommy gets ready we'll take you on a walk before her doctor appointment."

Sara stretched, getting off the bed. She pulled on a tank top and shorts as Bruno barked for her to hurry. Chuckling, she hooked on his leash, "Come on you…"

The three of them went out of the hotel, walking around the nearby park. Bruno did his job of taking care of business and chasing some of the squirrels that dared cross his path. Grissom and Sara dropped Bruno off back in the hotel room, giving him food and water from the suitcase along with his toys. They headed back out to the doctor appointment.

It was easy to see that Sara was nervous as they entered the doctor's office. The waiting room was full of women…pregnant women. Swallowing softly, Sara looked at Grissom, "There's a lot I need to tell you…"


	5. Author's Note

Hey Guys, this is just a quick author's note.

I've been SWAMPED with things for Finals this week so I haven't been able to update. I'm going to try and get a few chapters done over Winter Break. I am SO sorry to all you readers, but once finals are done I should be able to write more. Keep checking back!


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5/?

Grissom looked around the waiting room, "S-Sara, are we…are we where I think we are?"

Sara nodded a bit, "Yes, Gil." She took his hand, sitting down beside him in the corner of the room, "I'm sure you've got plenty of questions, and I guess it's time for me to confess. I didn't know it when I left Vegas, but I found out pretty quickly once I got here. I…I'm four months pregnant. I would have told you, and I should have told you sooner, but I couldn't bring myself to contacting you. I wasn't ready for it just yet, and I knew I had some time to prepare myself before telling you. I should have told you sooner, I'm sorry. I'm so…"

Her words were cut short as he kissed her hard on the lips. When he broke the kiss minutes later, he smiled warmly as a hand moved to her stomach, "Please, no more apologies Sara. I'm here. You're here. That's what counts."

She smiled, putting a hand on his. She hated when the other women would come up and place a hand on her belly, asking when she was due, but this was different. This was very different. His touch meant so much. It meant that she was accepted by him, and forgiven. She kissed him gently before looking at their hands, "I'm starting to pooch…"

He couldn't help it as he laughed, pecking her cheek, "Sara, baby, that's going to happen." His hand moved gently over her stomach, "What really matters are that we're having a baby, and I'm not letting either one of you go now. You're stuck with me."

Chuckling, she smiled brightly, "I don't think that's any form of discipline, but I'll take it." She softly played with his fingers on the hand that still protectively rested on her stomach, "Do you think we're ready for this?"

He kissed her cheek softly, "We don't have much of a choice, but yes…I think we are." He allowed her to manipulate his hand, easily figuring out she was deep in thought. He loved her little quirks. Just as he was about to open his mouth to tell her something, he heard the nurse calling Sara's name. He stood and offered his hand, "Come on honey."

Grabbing onto Grissom's hand, Sara stood. She laced their fingers together as they followed the nurse to the examination room. Sitting on the long doctor's table, she looked to him with a warm smile. He still held her hand, lightly kissing the back of it as they waited for the doctor. His free arm wrapped around her waist as he rested his hand on her stomach. "A baby," he quietly murmured, "We're really going to have a baby."

"Yes, we are." She smiled at him, pecking his cheek.

The doctor entered the room a moment later and Grissom stood up straighter, but his arm remained protectively around Sara. He slowly took his hand from hers, offering it to the doctor, "Gil Grissom."

Dr. Anderson smiled, "You must be the man that Sara has spoken so highly of." She smiled, "It's a pleasure to finally be able to meet you. When Ms. Sidle returns to Vegas, I've already set up a file transfer to her doctor so she'll be perfectly settled with information on the baby."

He smiled, "Thank you…" He moved closer to Sara, keeping his arms around her as though he could lose her again.

The doctor began to prep Sara for the ultrasound and she leaned back against Grissom as they watched the ultrasound screen. His hand gently covered hers and held it softly, giving them both the comfort and support that they wanted. He was not letting her go ever again, no matter what he had to do to catch her and bring her back. He'd go to the ends of the Earth for her and do whatever she'd ask of him. He loved her, and he hoped that it would be enough to bring her back to Las Vegas.

Grissom was brought back from his reverie when there was a soft thumping occurring in the speakers around the room. He looked down at Sara, who had tears freely flowing down her cheeks. Her eyes were transfixed on the ultrasound monitor as she listened to the steady heartbeat of their child. Slowly, he brought his own eyes to the monitor. His hand tightened on hers as he looked at the small…person…on the screen. It was real now. It was actually real…he was going to be a father.

A/N: Sorry this chapter has taken sooo long and is kind of short. I'm going to get one up as fast as possible. Family has been over and finals are finally over so I should be able to get one up somewhat soon. Thanks for reading everyone!


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter 6/?

The ultrasound appointment ended nearly an hour later after the multitude of questions Grissom had asked the doctor. Sara sat in the passenger's seat of the car, a hand on her stomach, as she looked out the window with a content smile on her face. Grissom got into the driver's seat and offered a hand to her to take. Her fingers soon laced with his as they pulled out of the parking lot. She was silent for a moment before turning her head to look at him, "Gil…?"

He squeezed her hand softly, "What is it, Butterfly?"

She smiled warmly at the nickname, relaxing in the seat, "We're having a baby."

"That we are, Sara that we are."

The ride back to the hotel was in a comfortable silence. A local radio station played quietly in the background as they drove, and Sara sang quietly along with some of the songs. Both of them were lost in thought about the future and about the baby along the way. For some reason, Sara was feeling slightly more comfortable with the thought of motherhood ever since the ultrasound. Heading up to the hotel room, Bruno greeted them the second the door open. Grissom fed him and gave him some water before letting him out onto the small patio to do his business. There was a small grass patch for animals on each patio.

Sara had changed into a tank top and pajama bottoms before sitting cross-legged on the bed. Bruno came back inside and soon joined her along with Grissom. Bruno stretched across the foot of the bed as Grissom sat behind her, massaging her shoulders, "Something on your mind, sweetie?"

Leaning back against him, Sara tilted her head slightly to see him, "I want to come back to Vegas…" She pressed a finger to his lips to silence any questions that may arise before she was finished, "…but I don't really want the team to know I'm back. I want it to just be us for a while. I'm not all that ready for the fuss of everyone over the new baby. I just want us, and Bruno, and the new baby…our real family before I'm going to be totally ready to welcome in our work family. Is that going to be okay?"

Rocking her gently, Grissom nodded with a smile as he kissed her forehead, "That will be just fine. We can keep to ourselves until you're ready no matter how long that may take. I love you Sara, and I'm going to do everything to make sure you're comfortable."

Her soft chocolate-brown eyes sparkled in excitement, "Can we leave tomorrow?"

"Yes, but only on one condition."

She raised a puzzled eyebrow, "What is it? I'll do anything."

"Tell me what happened when you visited your mother while you were here. I know about your past, Sara, and I want to know about now. I want to know everything that you're willing to tell me."

Sara had Grissom lay back, and she snuggled up to his side. Bruno lay across them both as Sara began to recollect every event that she could, "I visited my mom a few days after I got settled here…"

Flashback

Laura Sidle was sitting at the small table in her room at the asylum. Sudoku puzzles were spread out before her, and she lazily worked on them. She wasn't considered a "threat" any longer, but she was still forced to stay there for her convicted sentence of time. Not looking up as she heard the door open, she spoke to the table. Her voice was raspier than Sara's, "Just leave the tray in its usual spot…"

Sara quietly sighed to herself as she looked over the woman at the table. She had the same brunette hair but with more gray. They had matching brown eyes, but the older woman's had a harsher tone behind hers. It was easy to see they were related, but it was also easy to see that the younger woman had tried her best to break away from the other woman, "Mother." Now there was a word that hadn't passed her mouth in years. Well, in a way that wasn't a curse anyway.

Laura picked up her head as she stood, "Sara…is that really you?"

Nodding, Sara remained in her spot as though her feet were glued to the stark white tile floor beneath her. She swallowed softly before speaking. Her voice wavered slightly, but she managed to control it. No matter how much her subconscious feared the abuse, her mind knew she was safe for what little relief that emitted, "I figured I should come and see you at least one time while I'm visiting California. Don't get used to it."

The older woman approached, eyeing up the younger version of herself in front of her, "I should be honored then, I suppose. It's been a long time sweetheart…"

She interrupted instantly, "Don't call me that. I hate those nicknames." In all honesty, the only person she accepted those nicknames from was Grissom, but she didn't need to get into that story just yet.

With a bit of an eye-roll, she chuckled sarcastically, "Oh so we're being all emotional now? No nicknames for the big, grown-up Sara Sidle. My apologies…"

"I don't know why I bothered to come here. It wasn't worth my time. I thought maybe you changed, but you haven't. You're still the same…bitch that you always have been. I guess time doesn't change everyone. It's no wonder Father hit you…"

Time seemed to stand still as the cold hand of Laura smacked across Sara's face, "I don't care how old you are, child, you still watch what you say to me. I'm your mother and I can do as I damned well please."

Sara didn't even waver as she felt the familiar sting on her cheek. She swallowed softly but remained completely stoical as she spoke to the woman before her, "Just because you hit me as a child, doesn't mean that it's going to effect me now, Mother." As the word passed her lips, her voice sounded cold and angry. It wasn't too often that she got as angry as though she would explode, but she was now. If it wasn't for the soft Grissom voice in her mind telling her to be calm, she would have punched the living daylights out of her own mother. CSIs were trained in self-defense for a reason.

The older woman scoffed slightly before smirking at the obvious red mark on her daughter's cheek, "Just as easy to bruise you now as it was all those years ago. I can't believe you haven't learned better than to give attitude to your elders, young lady."

Laura raised yet another hand to her daughter's cheek, but was soon stopped as Sara grabbed her wrist, "I'm too old for this, Mother. I'm not going to stand here and let you do this to me anymore. I came here thinking that you've changed after all these years, but you haven't. I was wrong, and so I'm leaving." She let go of her mother's wrist and rested a hand on her still flat stomach, "Be prepared to never see your grandchild."

She turned on her heel and left a speechless Laura standing in the middle of the room. She's never looked back since, and she hasn't any reason too.

End of Flashback

Grissom tightly wrapped his arms around Sara as she finished the story, "I'm here sweetie, and I'm not leaving you ever again." She clinged to him and both soon fell asleep in each other's arms. Finally, she slept peacefully for the first time since she had left Las Vegas.


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter 7/?

A/N: Finally found a spot for it, so I used it. I use the song You Must Love Me from the musical Evita. Madonna sings the song for those of you who wish to look it up. It's a really beautiful song and I'm sure that YouTube has it somewhere. In the story, I do my best to explain the situation around where the part the song is pulled for those of you who haven't seen the movie. If you have any questions, feel free to leave it in the review along with other comments. Enjoy!

Grissom had taken the rest of the week off work and helped Sara move everything back to their townhouse in Las Vegas. The house finally seemed complete again now that her clothes were back in their closet and her books lined the few empty bookshelves. It looked like it had before she left, and that made both of them happier than they had been since they were reunited. Bruno was more than happy to have both of his people back in the house.

Grissom made two cups of warm tea and carried them into the living room. He set them down on the coffee table and sat beside Sara on the couch. His arms wrapped around her as they snuggled beneath the small blanket. Bruno lay on their feet to make sure neither of them left as he was sleeping. Not that anyone of them could stand the thought of losing each other yet again.

Mindlessly scrolling through channels, Sara put on a movie as she snuggled into his arms. She had seen Evita before, but the love always seemed stupid and out of place to her. Maybe that was because she hadn't truly known love until then, until she was wrapped up in the arms of her one and only. It was now that the love scenes and the sad songs all made sense to her. It was towards the end of the movie where Evita was singing to her husband before she died. She was deadly ill, and couldn't understand how his feelings remained for her now that she was stuck in bed for the last few days of her life. Normally, this part would never faze the stoical brunette, but she wound up crying into Grissom's shoulder by the end of the movie.

Where do we go from here?  
This isn't where we intended to be  
We had it all, you believed in me  
I believed in you

Certainties disappear  
What do we do for our dream to survive?  
How do we keep all our passions alive,  
As we used to do?

Sara buried her head into Grissom's neck and he gently brushed away the loose strands of hair. He couldn't tell whether it was the actual song or her hormones, but it didn't matter to him. He'd hold her even if she was just crying over a glass of spilled milk. He'd do anything for her, now more than ever.

Deep in my heart I'm concealing  
Things that I'm longing to say  
Scared to confess what I'm feeling  
Frightened you'll slip away

You must love me  
You must love me

Why are you at my side?  
How can I be any use to you now?  
Give me a chance and I'll let you see how  
Nothing has changed

Deep in my heart I'm concealing  
Things that I'm longing to say  
Scared to confess what I'm feeling  
Frightened you'll slip away

You must love me  
You must love me

You must love me

As the song ended, Grissom kept his arms tight around Sara until she pulled away. He brushed away her tears with his thumbs and his eyes stayed on hers, "I'm not slipping away, honey. I'm not going anywhere, and I'm not letting you go anywhere either. I'm keeping you here with me no matter what it takes. I'll do anything to keep you at my side because I love you, Sara Sidle. I love you…"

She leaned in and kissed him deeply, melting against him. She nuzzled into his arms, pulling up the blanket to cover them both. Putting on one of his bug documentaries after the movie ended, she snuggled more on his lap. It surprised her how easy it was to be back home and back with him. It was far from a difficult transition. In fact, it was much easier to come back into his arms than it was to ever leave.

The doorbell rang and Grissom tucked Sara in on his spot of the couch before going to answer the door. He grabbed his wallet, assuming it was the vegetarian Chinese food he had ordered for them almost an hour ago. Opening the door, he stopped dead in his tracks, "H-hey Catherine…"

The blonde stood in the doorway, holding the bags of Chinese food that was just dropped off, "I paid the guy so you can just pay me later. You told me we'd be going over those evaluations tonight." Quiet movement was heard in the background, and she narrowed her eyes, "What is going on in there, Grissom?"

He hesitated, knowing Sara wasn't willing to be discovered just yet, "I've got a, uh, a friend over that I haven't seen in a while. I completely forgot about the, um…the evaluations until just now. We can stay after shift and work on them tomorrow. I'm just busy right now." He held out his arms for the Chinese food after offering the money.

She pocketed the money and folded her arms, "Do I get to meet this special someone or are you going to keep hiding things? I will find out a way to figure out who this person is, Grissom, so you might as well just tell me."

Sara quietly listened to the conversation. She wasn't ready for anyone to know just yet, but she knew Grissom needed help getting away. She stood in the bedroom doorway and whined softly, "Gil, honey, come back to bed….the ice cream is melting." Smirking to herself, she quietly listened to the reactions from the other room.

Catherine's jaw almost hit the floor, "Is that who I think it is?"

Grissom shrugged with a grin, "No idea what you're talking about. I'll see you at work tomorrow, Catherine." He closed and locked the front door before going around and shutting the blinds as well.

Sara was back on her spot on the couch, wearing a pair of pajama pants and one of Grissom's old shirts. She smiled innocently at him, "I'm pregnant and I wanted my food."

Chuckling, he sat down beside her and pulled the coffee table closer to them. She ate her food straight out of the carton, leaning against Gil, "I'm not ready to tell them just yet. I…I probably should have just come out and said hello but I didn't want to see anyone just yet."

He softly rubbed her back, stealing a few bites of her food, "Its okay. I can pass it off tomorrow at work as though it was someone that just sounded like you. They know better than to mess in my personal business. Just take your time Sara, no one blames you. I love you, and I don't want to tell anyone until you're ready."

She smiled, stealing a few pieces of his food as well. She loved the fact that he had kept eating the meatless food even after she had left. It wasn't that she had tried to make him vegetarian, far from it. He just ate less and less meat when he was around her until they were both just cooking vegetarian meals, "Are you working tonight?"

Shaking his head, he kissed her temple, "My first day back is tomorrow, so I get to spend the rest of today with you. Is there something special you want to do while we have free time?"

Sara was quiet for a few minutes as she thought about it. She looked up at Gil with a warm smile, "I just want to fall asleep in your arms. Other than that, it really doesn't matter to me. I'm just glad I'm home and here with you. Nothing else can match that feeling than just being in your arms after all this time."

He set the food containers on the coffee table and turned his head to look at her, "Why don't you go get settled in bed and I'll be right in there after I let Bruno out and clean up?" She nodded, pecking his lips before going off to the bedroom. Watching her walk, he couldn't help but let a smile cross his lips. He had missed her so much, and now he finally had her back.

Cleaning up the food, he let Bruno out in the backyard to take care of his business. He made sure the living room was clean before locking the front door and setting the alarm after letting Bruno back into the house. The energetic dog ran to the bedroom, diving on the bed once he was sure his Sara was still there with him and his Grissom. He curled into a ball and laid where there feet wouldn't kick him during the night.

Grissom climbed into bed after changing into just his boxers and soon wrapped his arms around Sara, lightly kissing her forehead, "Good night, my Butterfly. It's good to have you home."

She smiled, her eyes slowly closing as she rested her head on his chest, drawing invisible shapes with her fingertips on his skin, "It's good to be home. I love you Bugman."

He smiled, playing with her hair, "I love you too. Sleep well." They both quickly fell asleep in each other's arms. Bruno watched them sleep, content with the fact that no one was leaving, before he let sleep over take himself as well.


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter 8/?

The obnoxious ringing of the alarm clock broke the silence of the Grissom household at 7:00 in the morning. Sara grumbled as she smacked the button to silence the ringing that seemed to pierce through her skull. That was the one thing about the hotel – there were no alarms to shake her out of her sleep. She stretched and rubbed at her eyes before noticing Grissom wasn't in the bed with her. Puzzled, she eased out of the bed and looked around for him. She heard movement in the kitchen so she followed the sounds.

Bruno had already been fed and let out, and was now chewing on his favorite toy in the corner of the kitchen. Grissom stood in front of the stove, making breakfast for the two of them. He wore only his pajama pants and an apron that covered his chest. Slowly, he poured another round of pancake batter into the large skillet as he worked on cooking the vegetarian bacon as well. His refrigerator and freezer remained stocked with vegetarian items that he was eating as well as items from before she had left.

Sara stood in the doorway, smiling as she watched him cook. It wasn't until he turned around to set the table after he finished cooking that he noticed her there. He smiled, "Morning sweetie. I was going to wake you…" Setting the plates down, he set out silverware and orange juice for them both before pulling out her chair.

She sat down with a soft chuckle, "The alarm clock did that for you." Leaning down to kiss her, he whispered a soft, "Sorry angel" against her lips. She shook her head, "It's perfectly fine. I got to watch you cook, and it was very cute to see you in that apron."

Laughing at her evil smirk, he started eating as he spoke, "I'm glad you're back, Sara. I missed you more than I can ever explain." He looked into her eyes, "When I got that call at work, I nearly sprinted from my office to see you as fast as I could. I missed the sound of your voice. Don't get me wrong, I understand completely why you had to go, but it really did make me understand how much I love you and need you here with me." Taking her hand, he softly kissed the back of it, "That proposal still stands, and the fact that you still have the engagement ring on shows me you feel the same way."

Sara nodded, smiling softly. She moved her chair closer to Grissom's and leaned against him the best she could, "Every night, I thought about you, but I knew if I called you I'd rush back to Vegas….I just needed to get my head on straight after everything. I never stopped loving you though. It's impossible for me to do that." Looking at the engagement ring on her hand, she nodded slightly, "I hoped that you'd take me back whenever I came home to you so I really didn't want to ever take it off."

He softly kissed her temple as the both ate, "Of course baby, of course. I'd always take you back. My life wouldn't be complete without you, and I'd be a fool to let you slip away from me." His arm wrapped around them and they ate in a comfortable silence.

It was a wonder how easy it was for them to be with each other. Grissom was normally a loaner and Sara was usually the follower of the group, but together they could be themselves however dysfunctional of a couple that may be. The silence that was usually awkward between couples was comforting between them. It gave them the chance to think over things that had been said between them or to just muse over the day's events. Either way, they just enjoyed the silent time between them, relaxing in each other's arms.

Taking a deep breath, Sara spoke once she finished eating, "I'm sure Catherine is going to question you plenty at work tonight, but promise me that, if she figures it out, you'll tell her she can't tell anyone. I'm not ready for this just yet."

Nodding, Grissom kissed her forehead, "I know Sara, and I promise you that it will not get out to the lab." He gently played with her hair, "Our relationship comes before you getting to work or letting anyone know you're here for that matter. Nothing's going to happen until you're ready for it to happen. I love you, and I will do whatever you want me to for however long you need me to do it. Your secret is safe with me."

After the dishes were done, Sara moved into the living room to watch Grissom's latest favorite bug documentary. It was a few hours later that they were forced to part when he left for work. She remained in the townhouse with Bruno, cleaning up a bit to surprise him when he got home. She plopped back down on the couch, petting the dog as she flipped through the latest Forensic Journal that lined the coffee table.

-At the Crime Lab-

Grissom walked into the break room to pass out assignments. Well, that was his intentions anyway. He was stopped on his way by a very demanding Catherine, nearly shouting questions at him. He calmly escorted her to his office and closed both the door and the window blinds before allowing her to continue her rant.

Catherine sat in the chair before Grissom's desk as he sat down on the opposite side. She crossed her right leg over her left as she spoke to him, "I know that voice, Griss. I know she was in your townhouse, but I don't know how she got there or for how long she has been there….and I'd like to know. I'm sure the whole team wants to know." Her eyes narrowed as she seemingly waited for him to spill his guts about the entire situation.

He sat back in his chair, his hands calmly resting in his lap. He wasn't going to spill Sara's secrets. Speaking softly and calmly, he watched for Catherine's reactions, "Sara doesn't want anyone to know she's back. She's still working on getting her life together, and I respect her wishes." He held up a hand to keep the anxious woman in front of him silent as he spoke, "In her own time, she'll come and tell everyone she's back, but for now, we need to keep this secret. She's staying in Vegas and, you must tell no one any of this, but she's four-months pregnant Catherine, almost five. I just want to know that if she has questions, she can come to you."

Mouth agape, Catherine stared at him as though he told her a tiger was living in her basement. She took a moment to collect her thoughts before finally speaking, "Sara Sidle is pregnant? I…I'm assuming it's your child, Gil?"

He nodded, but was still in his usual boss mode, "Never assume anything, but yes, it is my child and we are keeping it."

"Are you going to marry her?"

It was such a Catherine-style question that it actually made him chuckle, "Sara and I have been engaged since we found her beneath the car. I wasn't wasting anymore time that had to deal with our relationship. In other words, I did indeed finally get my head out of the microscope, and I'm very glad I did."

Silence overtook the room for a few minutes as both of them expected the other to say something else. Swallowing softly, Catherine finally found her voice that had initially hidden from her voice box, "I understand that she doesn't want anyone at the lab to know just yet, and I'm willing to do everything I can to help keep the secret for you two. You must promise me one thing, however. I want to see her and make sure she's alright. Every so often women just need to talk to other women and I'm almost positive that she has pregnancy questions that she doesn't necessarily wish to ask her doctor. I know I did. Thankfully, I had my mother to ask, and I know you don't want Sara finding out about pregnancy online…now do you?"

Grissom nodded a bit to her words, "No, I don't. I'll talk to her after shift and see when you can come over this weekend. I do appreciate everything you're doing. We just need to keep cool, and none of the team will suspect anything. Today will be the fourth month she's been gone, and the team will be more on edge than usual, you know that as well as I do. If we act as though everything is the same, we should be fine."

They both made their way into the break room a few minutes later. The team sat around the table silently awaiting their assignments, all knowing what the date was. It was almost a silent ritual by now, each remembering Sara in their own ways. Greg looked up from his cup of Blue Hawaiian coffee when the two supervisors had entered the room. Something seemed different about Grissom, but he couldn't quite place it. He had shaved for the first time in a long time, but that wasn't all. There was some sparkle behind the older man's eyes that hadn't been there since…Greg couldn't recall how long.

Every member of the team noticed the changes in Grissom, but none of them said anything. They didn't want to bring it up for fear of upsetting him. After all, Sara hadn't left them all too long ago and it was the "anniversary" of her leaving. Anniversary wasn't the right word since those are meant to be a happy celebration, but Greg wasn't sure what else to dub it as in his mind. Ronnie had since joined the graveyard shift and was seated between Greg and Nick, who was playing poker with Warrick across the table.

Catherine sat beside Warrick, nudging him as Grissom cleared his throat to get the card game to end. He passed out the case assignments to the team before heading back to his office to do paperwork. He had been burying himself in cases lately, and it was almost a shock to everyone, including Catherine, to see him go off to do paperwork. The team slowly dispersed out to their cars for yet another night of crime in the 'glamorous' city of Las Vegas.

Settled behind his desk, Grissom did his best to distract himself with paperwork, but his mind continued to drift off. He couldn't help but think of Sara and the new baby. In less than four months, he was going to be a father, and the thought was so surreal. His mind continued to drift between the paperwork and Sara throughout the night that he was almost surprised when the team came in to drop off their reports at the end of shift. For once, he hadn't been counting the hours, minutes, and seconds passing to see if he might get a call from Sara. No. His Sara was at home waiting for him, carrying their child. Catherine sensed the distance behind Grissom's voice as he thanked everyone for their hard work, and she knew he was anxious to get back home and make sure that it really wasn't a dream.

Once the graveyard shift had left his office, Grissom called home to tell Sara that he was on his way. Her voice was like a sweet song to him as he got into the car. She was really home in Vegas, and the thought almost made him speed. Thankfully, he calmed himself as he pulled into the parking lot of the Chinese place she always loved. He picked up her favorite foods and headed home. Unlocking the door to the townhouse, he was greeted by a very happy Bruno. Chuckling, he petted him before setting the food down in the kitchen, "Go get Mommy, B."

Bruno ran into the living room, almost dragging Sara by her pants leg into the kitchen. She laughed and petted him, "Yes Bruno, Daddy's home. I know." She walked over to Grissom, kissing him softly, "Welcome home." A smile crossed her lips, "Chinese, you remembered…" Kissing him again, she started to set the table, "How was shift?"

He sat down after serving the food, "Catherine bombarded me with questions, but she's going to keep it a secret like we want." Pulling her onto his lap, his arms wrapped around her as she opened the food cartons, "She is making you talk to her so she can give you a pregnancy talk. It's up to you when you want to do it though, baby. She just wants to make sure you've got a woman to talk to."

She nodded, "That's fine. I was hoping I'd get the chance to talk to her anyway. She knows more about this than both of us combined."

Chuckling, he kissed her cheek as they started to eat, "Don't worry though; you're going to make a wonderful mother." His hand slowly moved to rest on her stomach, silently protecting her and their child, "I promise you. We're going to do everything we can for this baby."

They ate in silence for a few moments before there was a quiet knock at the door. Sara looked at Grissom with a raised eyebrow, "I thought you told Catherine we'd pick a date?"

He nodded and they both stood, walking to the door, "I did. That's why I don't know who…" He stopped talking as he looked out the door's peephole, "Sara…"

A/N: Hehehe, I decided to be evil for once this story. More like, I realized this was already a SUPER long chapter and decided to make it into a cliffhanger instead. Have fun reviewing, and I'll get the next chapter posted as soon as I finish it.


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